Confession & Capital Murder Charge In Kaufman County Murders

Related Tags:

KAUFMAN COUNTY (CBSDFW.COM) – Officials with the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office have officially announced the arrest of the wife of former Kaufman County Justice of the Peace Eric Williams.

At a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Lieutenant Justin Lewis said, “I’m here to announce that an arrest has been made in connection with the shooting deaths of Mike McLelland, Cynthia McLelland and Mark Hasse.”

Former JP Eric Williams was arrested Saturday for allegedly making terroristic threats against city officials. Today Lewis said, “Kim Lene Williams, 46, of Kaufman has been arrested and charged with the offense of capital murder for her part in the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. McLelland and Mr. Hasse.”

A not so recent picture of Kim Lene Williams, who has now been charged with capital murder for the deaths of Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland, his wife Cynthia and Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse. (credit: Facebook)

Kim Williams was arrested just before 3:00 a.m. and is currently being held at the Kaufman County Jail on a $10 million bond. According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Kim Williams was interviewed on April 16 and then not only confessed to her involvement in the murder plots, but detailed the role of her husband, Eric Williams, who she said was the gunman who shot and killed the McLelland’s and Kaufman County Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse.

There have been no additional charges filed against Eric Williams, who is being held on a $3 million bond. But sources previously told CBS 11 News that he too is expected to soon be charged with capital murder.

Mark Hasse (credit: Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office)

Eric Williams has been on the radar of investigators since Hasse was gunned down as he walked from a parking lot to the courthouse on January 31. Authorities questioned Williams and had his hands tested for gunpowder residue after the Hasse murder.

Then District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, were shot and killed in their Forney home on March 30. Eric was questioned again and two weeks later was arrested on the terroristic threat charge.

According to court documents, one day after the McLelland murders an email, sent to an unspecified official, threatened that another attack would occur unless certain demands were met. Officials say the email was sent from Eric Williams’ personal computer.

Investigators on Friday had served a search warrant at the homes of Eric Williams and his in-laws. Then, on Saturday, officials searched a Seagoville storage facility that Williams was renting. Inside, they found 20 guns and a white Ford Crown Victoria. The car matches the description of a vehicle spotted near the McLelland home on the night they were murdered.

In 2012, while still serving as Justice of the Peace, Eric Williams was indicted on theft and burglary charges for stealing computer equipment county offices. He was convicted and sentenced to two years probation, but the now 46-year-old lost his job and his license to practice law.

Both DA McLelland and Assistant DA Hasse prosecuted the case against Eric Williams. The affidavit released Wednesday also said that some officers of the Kaufman County court and other county employees told investigators that both Mike McLelland and Mark Hasse believed that Eric Williams blamed them for his removal from office.

Lt. Lewis didn’t release any details on the arrest of Kim Williams and said, “Out of respect for the families of the victims, during this time we are not answering any questions at this briefing, until we are able to brief the family on the events of the past several days.”

The news of the arrest spread through town quickly.

“It’s shocking,” Kaufman resident Denise Harvey said across the street from the county courthouse. “We didn’t even know he was married. She never came up,” Harvey said about Kim and Eric Williams.

The couple’s next door neighbor, Richard Mohundro, said Mrs. Williams was friendly and talkative, but physical illness took a toll on her recently. Mohundro said the arrest of wife Williams was a shocking surprise.

That’s hard for me to get my mind around. I was shocked when I heard this morning that she had been indicted.”

Another press conference concerning the Kaufman County murders and arrests has been schooled for April 18, at 1:30 p.m.